October 8, 2013

Wolff to present Lou Douglas Lecture Oct. 15 on the decline of the American middle class

Edward Wolff, New York University economist, will present "Rising Inequality: The Decline of the American Middle Class" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union as part of the fall 2013 Lou Douglas Lecture Series at Kansas State University. The lecture series is sponsored by UFM Community Learning Center.

Wolff has taught economics at New York University since 1974. He currently serves as a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and is an associate editor or editor of numerous economic research publications. He has acted as a consultant with the Economic Policy Institute, the World Bank, the United Nations, the WIDER Institute and Mathematica Policy Research.

His research focus is productivity growth, and income and wealth distribution. He is the author of many published articles as well as a frequent guest on radio and television. Some of Wolff's most recent books and edited volumes include "The Transformation of the American Pension System: Was It Beneficial for Workers?"; "Productivity Growth: Industries, Spillovers and Economic Performance"; and "International Perspectives on Household Wealth."

The Lou Douglas Lecture Series is dedicated to Douglas, who was a distinguished professor of political science at Kansas State University from 1949 until 1977. Widely known for his power to inspire students, faculty, staff and citizens to instigate change, Douglas was one of the founders of UFM Community Learning Center. After his death in 1979, UFM began the lecture series to honor him. More information is available online.